(CNN) - Rep. Paul Ryan's budget has become a litmus test for any Republican considering a White House run, but now even non-candidates like Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels are weighing in on the budget chairman's proposed plan.

"Congressman Ryan's made tremendous contribution and nobody should criticize his plan unless they've something of similar dimension of their own to offer up," Daniels said in an interview with CNN Chief Political Analyst Gloria Borger that is to air Tuesday night on "In the Arena."FULL POST

Editor's note:Gloria Borger is a senior political analyst for CNN, appearing regularly on CNN's "The Situation Room," "AC360°," "John King, USA" and "State of the Union."

Washington (CNN) - It is probably some form of poetic justice that, in reacting to the attempted murder of a congresswoman and the murder of a judge, some of the political discourse has devolved into an unhelpful and unenlightening argument that goes something like this: It's your fault; no, it's your fault.

Let's just stipulate a few things: The gunman is unhinged. We're not sure of his political or cultural beliefs, if he has any floating around a very warped mind. To ascribe a political motive to this shooter right now is impossible.

Editor's note: Gloria Borger is a senior political analyst for CNN, appearing regularly on CNN's "The Situation Room," "AC360°," "John King, USA" and "State of the Union."

Washington (CNN) - It is the fall of the Democrats' discontent or, more accurately, the voters' discontent.

They're anxious, they're angry and, as one Obama defender put it directly to the man himself this week, they're exhausted - both from defending him and keeping track of all that he has done. In other words: It's too much, too fast, with not much to show for it.

Sure, it's hard for a president who considers himself transformational to admit he needs to play some retail politics. After all, there are election cycles other than his own.

CNN Senior Political Analyst Gloria Borger says the GOP created its own monster in the Tea Party.

Editor's note: Gloria Borger is a senior political analyst for CNN, appearing regularly on CNN's "The Situation Room," "AC360°," "John King, USA" and "State of the Union" as well as participating in special events coverage.

(CNN) - Once upon a time, back after Barack Obama's impressive 2008 presidential win, defeated and depressed Republicans had to do something to prove they still had a pulse. So leaders went out of their way - and it wasn't easy - to recruit stellar, well-known, GOP candidates for Senate: a governor in Charlie Crist of Florida, a secretary of state in Trey Grayson of Kentucky, a seasoned and popular congressman in Mike Castle of Delaware.

At the time, it seemed like a really good plan. And it got even better when President Obama and his jolly band of congressional Democrats shepherded through some controversial, and unpopular, legislation. Huge bills to reform health care and stimulate the economy played right into the GOP wheelhouse: too much government, too much spending.

(CNN) - A GOP strategist working on behalf of Rep. Mike Castle in Delaware's GOP primary for Senate said he wishes robo-calls against Tea Party favorite and Castle opponent Christine O'Donnell had been made earlier, according to CNN senior political analyst Gloria Borger.

The robo-calls, released by the state GOP, allege that O'Donnell was living off her campaign donations and failed to pay staffers. O'Donnell has denied the allegations.

Some establishment Republicans have said they believe Castle has a better chance of winning the general election, which would let the GOP pick up a seat currently held by Democrats and possibly help Republicans take control of the Senate.

Editor's note: Gloria Borger is a senior political analyst for CNN, appearing regularly on CNN's "The Situation Room," "AC360°," "John King, USA" and "State of the Union" as well as participating in special events coverage.

Washington (CNN) - There are just times, when you are president of the United States, that formally speaking to the American people is part of the job.

Not because it's politically wise, or even politically advisable - but because you have something important to say. As in, the seven-year-combat-mission-in-Iraq-is-over. Or, more specifically, as President Obama said, "it's time to turn the page."

It wasn't a particularly artful speech, nor was it full of new and interesting ideas. It was what it was: a ceremonial proclamation ending combat in a war Obama inherited (and opposed) and a declaration to fight another war (also, as he says, inherited) on the economy.

Editor's note: Gloria Borger is a senior political analyst for CNN, appearing regularly on CNN's "The Situation Room," "AC360°" and "State of the Union," as well as participating in special event coverage.
(CNN) - The thing that is hard to miss in Ted Olson's Washington office are the quills. They're in a mug, all 56 of them, each commemorating an appearance before the Supreme Court. In many of those cases, he was the standard bearer for conservatives. And a successful one; he won 44 times.

In fact, one of his most satisfying and famous wins was against Al Gore, the Democrats and super-attorney David Boies in the contested 2000 election. Olson represented George W. Bush.

The rest, as they say, is history. Olson won, Boies lost. That is except in the movie "Recount," as they both joked to me. Boies won the docudrama.

Editor's note: Gloria Borger is a senior political analyst for CNN, appearing regularly on CNN's "The Situation Room," "AC360°" and "State of the Union," as well as participating in special events coverage.

Washington (CNN) - It's not easy being a Democrat these days.

All that hope and optimism just 17 months ago, and now Democrats are scrambling to try and keep their congressional majorities.

Republicans, who have become professional critics, are finding that saying no is a winning strategy, at least in the short term. When voters are asked which party's candidate they would prefer to vote for, they now say the GOP by 5 points. In 2008, it was the Democrats who were the favorites by a whopping 10 points.

CNN Senior Political Analyst Gloria Borger says with President Obama’s signing of financial reform legislation, he wins on Wall Street but loses on Main Street.

Editor's note: Gloria Borger is a senior political analyst for CNN, appearing regularly on CNN's "The Situation Room," "AC360°" and "State of the Union," as well as participating in special event coverage.

Washington (CNN) - Ask anyone at the White House about the importance of the financial reform bill the president will sign today, and the answer is near-universal: a colossal achievement. And why not?

It's sweeping legislation: creating new consumer protections, making it unattractive for institutions to become "too big to fail," imposing new rules for financial transparency.

And, by the way, it's also a pretty popular idea, in theory at least: 60 percent of Americans say they want to reform Wall Street, according to a recent CNN poll. So it's a no-brainer, right?

Editor's note: Gloria Borger is a senior political analyst for CNN, appearing regularly on CNN's "The Situation Room," "AC360°" and "State of the Union," as well as participating in special event coverage.

President Obama, you may recall, has lately had some troubles with public perception of the way he has been handling the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. His leadership has been questioned. In fact, Americans have downgraded his ability to handle a crisis by 11 points in the past year, according to CNN polls. They don't think he's a very tough guy.

That is, unless they caught his announcement of General Stanley McChrystal's "resignation." It wasn't a towel-snapping I've-had-enough-of-this-kind -of-insubordination statement. Rather, it was a reasoned, calculated explanation of why the commander-in-chief could not countenance McChrystal and his cronies bad-mouthing the president and his entire national security team.

The president was forceful, and clear: It "erodes the civilian control of the military," he said. It files in the face of the "strict code of conduct" for the military," he told us. And, by the way, debate is fine, but this president "won't tolerate division."

Or immaturity. Or anything that is not worthy of the risks the troops take each day.
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